10. Flotsam

I must admit that before this class I had seen wordless picture books, but always discounted them. Don't get me wrong, I thought they were beautiful, but I mistakingly thought that they were for non-readers. If my students ever picked one up at the library, I thought they were trying to get out of reading and promptly sent them back to grab a new one. Now I feel silly.

Wordless picture books offer numerous opportunities for children to practice visual literacy (a very important skill in this day and age) and begin to piece together and tell stories based on the illustrations. They have to incorporate critical thinking and inferring skills, since there are no words to rely on. Flotsam (2006), by David Wiesner, gives such a compelling tale that from page to page that I was drawn to find out what happened next.

Wiesner's illustrations are breathtaking. His watercolor paintings are incredibly realistic (even though there are also some surreal, fantasty-like elements in the book). The wraparound cover shows us a boldly-colored fish who has the gleam of a camera in his eye...foreshadowing of what is to come. The endpages are a sandy color that perfectly blend into the upcoming beach scene. Even the title page tells us about the little boy's treasures he has accumulated on his beach adventures. So, by the time we get to the first opening, the scene is set.

This is one book where I do not want to give away the story-- it is so intriguing and unique that I want the reader to be surprised by what happens. I will just say that the boy in the book is collecting flotsam (anything floating that washes ashore) from the beach when he makes an incredible discovery that shows him some magical possibilities he had never dreamed of. 

The artistry of the book is incredibly detailed. Wiesner creates double page spreads that bleed to the end of the page, thus immersing you in the world of the book. The scenes of the boy are so realistic that they anchor the elements of fantasy later on, so much so that it feels like maybe they really do happen. Wiesner knows how to ride the fine line of believable versus unbelievable magical realism. At times, when Wiesner wants to move the story forward more quickly he uses boxes or panels that show the passage of time and build up the drama of what will happen next. He also zooms us in and out of perspective (sometimes we are right next to the boy's eye and other times we are looking from afar). With each page turn, we follow along with the boy and his newfound discoveries. Wiesner's muted, warm palette portrays a sunny day at the beach. This color scheme shifts a bit when we get to the bold hues of the underwater scenes. 


As far as the story is concerned, it is so creative that it will fill any child with wonder and curiosity. When we feel that we have discovered everything in the world, Wiesner reminds children that things may not always be as they seem. He is a master of awakening the imagination in his visual adventures. You could use this book as a mentor text for writing fantasy stories, as a way to practice inferring, in a text set of wordless books, or just for plain fun and excitement. The greatest part is that children can create their own story to go along with it since they are not limited by the words written by the author. I am in love with Wiesner's work-- he is meticulous down to the last detail and immerses you in his world.